NDS 291 Exam 1

English word for a red Bordeaux wine

Claret is the table wine name for red Bordeaux wine

Types of wine bottle sizes and how much they hold (smallest to middle size)

Split- quarter of a standard bottle of wine

Demi/Half - half of a standard bottle of wine

Standard - 1 a standard bottle of wine (750 ml)

Magnum - 2 standard bottles of wine (1.5 L)

Three Flavors of wine

Bitter, sweet, sour

Different Species names of grapes and where they originated from

Vitis Labrusca - US Native American grape species (Catawba, Concord, Delaware)

Vitis Vinifera - European grape species (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir)

What is Terroir

taste added from the region or location that the grapes are grown in

Includes soil composition and geography, sunlight, weather, climate, rainfall and nearby plant life

soil types are also known as minerality- affect the taste of the finished wine

regional plants influence aroma of wines because they transfer to nearby grapevines and affect the wine’s taste

What is a jug wine

generic labeling that doesn’t really talk about what grapes are inside

named for containers in which they were bottled, were inexpensive, nondescript, and mass produced- made greatly during Prohibition because didn’t want to make quality wine if no one could legally sell it

Gamay grapes

major grape variety of Burgundy in France

Under AOC laws, all red burgundies must come from Pinot Noir, except Beaujolais, which comes from Gamay grapes

have high acidity and low tannins, purple skinned and a fruit-forward wine

Most important California white wine grape

Chardonnay- most important California white wine grape

top state in terms of wine production

Alcoholic fermentation equation

Sugar + Yeast = Alcohol + Carbon Dioxide

Bouquet vs aroma

Aroma: smell of the grapes

Bouquet: overall smell of the wine

Percentage of grapes that have to be from Chardonnay for it to be named that

75% of the grapes must be Chardonnay grapes

Difference between Sauvignon Blanc and its counterpart

Fume Blanc, nothing, just a different name for a marketing perspective and it worked to get it to sell more. Just a rebrand

Over time, what happens to the color of white and red wines

white wines gain color , red wines lose color

What is vintage?

The year that grapes used for that wine were harvested

Vintage charts reflect weather conditions for various years. Better weather = better vintage rating, and wine will age well

What is estate bottled?

Estate-bottled wine is made, produced, and bottled by the owner of the vineyard

fine estate-bottled wines are available in limited quantities in the US

What was the outcome of phylloxera

Phylloxera is a grape louse attacks grapevines and eventually kills entire plant

Destroyed almost all of the vineyards in Europe in 1870 with their native European vines

Native American vines (vitis labrusca) in US had natural immunity, so they grafted immune American rootstocks onto the European vines to prevent this from happening again

Phylloxera first destroyed California vineyards in 1976

Purpose of rim variation

can indicate an older wine, oak contact, hint at varietal

wide/broad rim (color shifts significantly)- shows older wine because pigments are breaking down and falls out as sediment over time

tight or narrow rim indicates a young wine

Lighter- bodied grapes (Pinot Noir) naturally show more variation and lighter translucent edges, compared to deeply pigmented grapes like Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon

Wine named after AVA in US

85% of grapes must come from that region

What are some characteristics of a cool, growing region

wine has a green tinge and is straw colored

vertical vs horizontal tasting

Vertical tasting: when taste compares same wine from different vintages- see how its aging affects its taste

Horizontal tasting: tasting wines from the same vintage

Where does the color of wine come from

skin of grapes and pigment

Tannins

• Natural preservative giving wine its longevity. Comes from skin, pits, stems of grapes

• older bottle wines tannin falls out of the wine and it becomes sediment

• Syrah, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon have high tannins (black grapes with thick skins too)

Red wines have higher level of tannins because they ferment with their skins. They can also come from wood- like oak barrels

What percentage of grapes from that year must go into it for the bottle to be from a vintage year

95% of the wine must be from grapes harvested from that year if uses AVA standard regulations

What do grapes taste like at various points in the season

at the beginning of the season, grapes are sour

at the end of the season, grapes are sweet

flabby

lack of acidity

dull, flat, limp, or heavy

Chaptalization

allows winemakers to add sugar in their wine before fermentation

enables yeast to create more alcohol in final wine during fermentation process

done for underripe grapes that doesnt have enough of own natural sugars to produce sufficient amount of alcohol for wine

TCA

Also known as a corked wine

musty aroma caused by the organic compound of TCA

comes into contact with the cork, cause wet or mildew cardboard scent

Brix

scale winemakers use that measures sugar in grapes

Varietal Labeling

Used to differentiate quality wines from California’s mass-produced wines, which had generic names like Burgundy, Chablis, Chianti

so began labeling wines by their grape variety

Varietal designation defines the wine by the name of the predominant grape used to produce it: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir

Made wine buying easier because the names, regardless of where made, would have similar characteristics

1980s, this became an industry standard- made federal gov revise labeling regulations

norm for highest-quality American wines

Federal law mandates that if a label lists a grape, at least 75% of the grapes used to make the wine must come from that variety (why most in store wines labeled white or red blend

Meritage

name or red or white wine made in the US from a blend of classic Bordeaux grapes

created because winemakers felt restricted by legally required 75% minimum rule of grapes in a bottle to have the name of that variety on the bottle

Meritage winemakers knew they could make a better wine when blending grape varieties, just as Bordeaux winemakers do

Ex: Cain Five and Dominus

Reserve

No legal meaning

Some wineries use this to designate special wines

vague term can range from a wine from particular vineyard tto one that is from special blend of grapes

Most predominant grape in Oregon

Pinot Noir 58% of all grapes

Sources that can affect a wine’s taste

varietal of grape, fermentation, maturation, aging

What species of grape makes the most wine

Vitis vinifera makes the most wine- both red and white

Noble rot

Botrytis cinerea

type of mold that usually undesirable, unless wanting to make some of the world’s best sweet wines

mold enters skin of grape and allows water to dissipate, increasing concentration of sugar and acid

“rotting” takes time, so harvesters can determine how intense the sweetness they want in their harvest

Alcohol Percentages

Sparkling wine: 8-12%

Table wine: 8-15%

Fortified Wine: 17-22%

Must

juice and skin mixture that comes from a grape when sent through crusher during fermentation process

Can red grapes make white wine?

color of wine is determined by grape’s skin

Red grapes can make white wine when skin is removed immediately after picking

Maceration

process where grapes, like black grapes, soak in juice and skin mixture (must) during the fermentation process

this extracts tannins, color from skin, and intensifies aroma of the wine and wine mouthfeel

Maceration can occur with the must before and/or after maceration

Residual sugar

undigested natural sugars of ripe grapes after yeast completes fermentation process

wines with nor residual sugars or below certain legal thresholds are “dry” wines

Factors that affect whether a wine will last 5+ years

Storage conditions, color of the grape and the grape itself, vineyard, vintage, vinification

Why do vinters use sulfur dioxide in winemaking process

natural antioxidant, perservative, disinfectant prevents unwanted oxidation of grape juice and stops unwanted wild yeast or bacteria from entering wine.

Any sulfuric smell in wine means it is flawed

Why swirl a wine before smelling

allows oxygen to get into the wine by releasing esters, ethers, and aledhydes that combine with oxygen to yield a wine’s bouquet

swirl areates the wine and releases more of its aroma

What percentage of wine consumed in America comes from the US

over 75% of all wines conusmed in America come from US

About how many wineries are there in the US

More than 10,000 wineries in US

How many states have wineries

all 50 states produce wine in their wineries

name of wine-grape species native to America

Vitis labrusca is native to America and was immune to Phylloxera

When was Prohibition in the US

Began in 1920 with 18th Amendment being added, and ended in 1933.

AVA

American Viticultural Area

defined grape-growing area in a state or region registered and recognized by federal givernment

began 1980

certain AVAs well-known for certain grape varieties or wine styles

US: 240 AVAs

California: 139 AVAs

If AVA appears on wine label - 85% of grapes must come from that region

Top Five states for wine production and top three for wine consumption

Production:

California

Washington

NY

Oregon

Texas

Consumption

Washington, DC

Idaho

New Hampshire

Main AVAs in California

North Coast region

San Joaquin Valley/Central Valley

North Central Coast region

South Central Coast

Top grapes planted in Napa

Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot

Cabernet Sauvignon is the most planted red grape in Napa Valley

Top grapes planted in Sonoma

Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon

Sonoma county plants the most Pinot Noir in California

Are Americans drinking more red or white wine

More red wine (58%) than white wine

California grow more red grapes or white and what are the top three of this category

Grows more red grapes than white

most planted red grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel

Which French wine region can you find great Cabernet Sauvignon

French wine region of Bordeaux

Which two French wine regions do you find great Pinot Noir

Burgundy and Champagne

What California grape has the same DNA as Italian grape Primitivo

Zinfandel grapes have same DNA as Italian grape Primitivo

Which French wine region do you find great Syrah

Great Syrah found in French wine region of Rhone Valley

Which California counties have the most Syrah planted

San Luis Obispo and Sonoma counties

1970 California, what is the most planted red grape?

Zinfandel

Most important white-wine grape grown in California

Chardonnay

other major ones include:

Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chenin Blanc

major grapes grown in Washington

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah - produces more red than white

Chardonnay, Riesling

How many AVAs are in Oregon

18 AVAs

Three main wine regions of NY

Finger Lakes, Hudson Valley, Long Island regions

Which Native American varieties of grapes are grown in New York

From species Vitis Labruscas with grape varieties Catawba, Concord, Delaware

Match grape variety with wine region

Champagne - Pinot Noir, Chardonnay

Loire Valley - Sauvignon Blanc, Chennin Blanc

Alsace - Riesling, Gewürztraminer

Burgundy - Pinot Noir, Chardonnay

Bordeaux - Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon

Cotes du Rhone - Syrah, Grenache

When were AOC laws first established

established in 1930s and set minimum requirements for each wine-producing area in France

control geographic origin, grape varieties, minimum alcohol content, vine-growing practices

How many acres in a hectare

1 hectare = 2.471 acres

How many gallons are in a hectoliter

26.42 gallons = 1 hectoliter

How many appellations does Bordeaux have

65 Bordeaux wines can carry the Bordeaux name on the label based on AOC rules

What percentage of red wines does Bordeaux produce

85% of wines produced in Bordeaux are red

Three major red grapes grown in Bordeaux

Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc

What red grape grows primarily on the left bank of the Garonne River

Cabernet Sauvignon primarily grows in regions/villages to the west/left of the Garonne river

great recent vintages: 2000,2005, 2010

What red grape grows primarily on the right bank of the Dordogne River

Merlot grapes primarily grow in regions/villages to the east/right of the Dordogne River

great recent vintages: 2018, 2019, 2020

Quality Levels of Bordeaux wibes

Bordeaux/ Bordeaux Supérieur

Region

Region + Château.

About how many wine-producing chateaux does Bordeaux have

over 5,800 and likely nearing 7,000

What percentage of Bordeaux wine costs between $8 and $25

80% of Boredeaux wines cost between $8 and $25

In what year did wine brokers classify the best chateaux of the Medoc

Wine brokers classified best chateaux of Medoc in 1855 to represent France

How many chateaux did they classify

They classified 61 total chateaux, categorized into one of 5 growths

What percentage do the Grands Crus Classes Chateaux represent of the total volume of Boredeaux

Grands Crus Classes Chateaux represents less than 5% of Bordeaux wines

What year were the wines of Graves first classified

wines of Graves first classified in 1855, others being classified in 1959

What year were the wines of St-Emilion first classified

wines of St-Emilion first classified in 1955, which features 18 first growths

What is primary red grape used in St-Emilion wine

primary red grape used in St-Emillion wines are Merlot at 70% of wine’s composition

Two second-label wines of classified chateaux

Le Clarence De Haunt- Brion for Chateau Haut-Brion (first growth)

Alter Ego for Chateau Palmer (third growth)